Saying “thank you” is probably the first thing most of us learn to do in a foreign language. After all, we’re brought up to be polite, and it is important to make a good impression upon other people — especially across national divides.
So, what exactly are you supposed to say when “thank you” is only the 20th most popular way to express gratitude? According to a recent survey, 19 other ways of expressing appreciation finished ahead of “thank you” in a poll of 3,000 people.
Pollsters(民測(cè)調(diào)查員) found almost half of those asked preferred the more informal “cheers”, while others liked to use such expressions as “ta”, “great” and “nice one”.
So, just what is the appropriate form of words to express your thanks?
Fortunately, the clue is in the language itself. “Cheers”, despite its popularity, is considered an informal way to say thank you — and this is a definite clue as to when you can best use it.
For instance, when going for a drink with friends, a smile and a “cheers” by way of thanks is not only appropriate to the situation, it is also culturally accurate.
“Ta”, originated from the Danish word “tak”, was the second-most popular expression of thanks, and is also commonly used in informal situations, along with phrases such as “nice one”, and “brilliant”. Interestingly, one word that didn’t make it into the top 20 was “thanks”, Thank you is shorter, more informal cousin.
“Thanks” can be useful, as it is able to bridge the divide between the formality of “thank you” and the downright relaxed “cheers”.
Certain words can double as an expression of thanks as well as delight. Again, the words themselves offer the clue as to when best to use them.
For example, words like “awesome”, “brilliant” and “you star” featured highly in the new poll and they can hint at both your pleasure at someone’s action, as well as serving to express your thanks. If you are on the receiving end of a “new” thank you, you can respond with a simple “no problem”, or “sure”.
Of course, in certain circumstances, a simple wave, nod or smile may be appropriate. For instance, if a car driver slows down to let you cross the road, simply raising your hand in acknowledgement is enough to show that you appreciate the driver’s consideration.
Sometimes, formality is necessary, and “thank you” is still the best choice in such situations. But students should not worry about when exactly to use certain expressions.
Many people in Western countries are worried that good manners are in decline. People are tired of seeing their acts of kindness and service pass without comment. So don’t think your “thank you” is clumsy or awkwardly formal. The chances are, if you said “thank you”, you made someone’s day. You star.
小題1:We can tell from the results of the poll that __________.

A．people are unconcerned about politeness nowadays.

B．“thank you” remains the best expression of gratitude.

C．there is a variety of expressions of appreciation.

D．there are more formal expressions than informal ones.

小題2:According to the passage, which is an appropriate response to “awesome” or “brilliant”?

A．Thanks.

B．Sure.

C．Nice one.

D．Cheers. .

小題3:In the last paragraph the author encourages people to          .

A．show their gratitude to others.	B．behave themselves well.
C．continue their acts of kindness.	D．stop worrying about bad manners.

小題4:Which of the following can serve as the best title of this passage?

A．How to Appear More Polite .	B．Ways to Show Gratitude.
C．Never hesitate to Say “Thank You”.	D．Good Manners in Decline!

The bar-tailed godwit(斑尾鷸) has just broken its own record for the world’s longest non-stop flight, including humans in planes, according to a report made by Lund University Press. The bird can fly non-stop for eight days, while the most impressive man-made airplane can only remain in the sky for 82 hours without a stop.
The bar-tailed godwit’s journey, from Alaska to New Zealand, covers over 6,835 miles. It completes this trip twice a year, in autumn going to New Zealand, and in spring back to Alaska. The tireless bird ends the trip without stopping once for food or rest. All other birds can only finish trips that are twice as short as what the bar-tailed godwit travels.
One reason for the bar-tailed godwit’s success is that it has made the best use of its fuel, which is only 0.41 percent of its body weight over each hour of any given long flight. Hedenstrom, a professor from Lund University, says, “This figure is extremely low compared with other birds.” The bird also has a special body shape that helps it fly easily. It stores body fat and protein to manage its trips. It also travels fast, compared to other birds and animals.
Many questions remain about this bird record holder that never gets lost in the air. Researchers wonder whether it has an inside compass(指南針) that helps it to know the direction. Please watch how beautiful bar-tailed godwits look as they come in for a landing, along with other birds.
小題1:For the flight from Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit _____.

A．doesn’t need to stop to eat	B．is afraid of hot weather
C．seems very tired at last	D．should fly less than 7000 metres

小題2:The main reason why the bar-tailed godwit can break the record is that it ______.

A．eats little food every hour	B．has a special body shape
C．stores much water in its body	D．has very light body weight

小題3:The last paragraph tells us that ________.

A．researchers have understood the bird very well

B．the bird has a very good sense of direction

C．there are still many who doubt the bird’s ability

D．the bird has an inner compass

小題4:What is the text mainly about?

A．A bird that breaks the record for the longest non-stop flight.

B．Birds and airplanes that can fly over a long distance.

C．Reasons for the bar-tailed godwit’s long-distance flight.

D．An introduction to long-distance flights of birds and humans.

Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s have a look．
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies．We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants．Sometimes，people may get caught with their pants down．They are found doing something they should not be doing．And，in every family，one person takes contro1．Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do．Then we say she wears the pants in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things．Money that is likely to be spent quickly can bum a hole in your pocket．Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants．If you have less money than usual，you may have to tighten your belt.
I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. l really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I immediately spend it.
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him will think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve.
小題1:What is this passage mainly about?  

A．What pants mean in English.	B．Some special English expressions.
C．Some funny English expressions.	D．Some expressions related to clothes.

小題2:Which of the following expressions can show someone is nervous?

A．Get caught with one's pants down.	B．Have ants in one's pants.
C．Wear the pants in the family.	D．Bum a hole in one's pocket.

小題3:If we say someone has to tighten his belt, we probably mean he        

A．has done something wrong	B．used to live a rich life
C．has put on the wrong pants	D．doesn’t have enough money

小題4:Someone who spends his money at the drop of a hat most probably_           

A．doesn’t save money	B．earns much money
C．never wastes his money	D．spends more than he earns

There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. But  21  a few of them are very  22 . English is one of these. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the U.S.A., but in other parts of the world. About 200,000,000 speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a   23  language. Many millions are   24  to do so.
Is it easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different   25  . Have you ever   26  ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines? “Learn English in six weeks, or your   27 back.”.“Easy and funny! Our records and tapes   28   you master(掌握) your English in a month.  29  the first day your   30  will be excellent. Just send us ... ” Of course, it never  31  quite like this.
The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should   32  that we all learned our own language well when we were  33 . If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult.   34   what a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears. When he is using the language, talking in it,  35  in it all the time. Just imagine how much  36  that gets!
So it is  37  to say that learning English is easy, because a good command of English  38   upon a lot of practice. And practice needs great effort and   39   much time. Good teachers, records, tapes, books, and dictionaries will   40 . But they cannot do the student's work for him.

小題1:	A．not B．quite C．only D．very

小題2:	A．difficult B．important C．necessary D．easy

小題3:	A．native B．foreign C．useful D．mother

小題4:	A．learning B．enjoying C．trying D．liking

小題5:	A．questions B．problems C．ideas D．a(chǎn)nswers

小題6:	A．found B．watched C．noticed D．known

小題7:	A．knowledge B．time C．money D．English

小題8:	A．make B．help C．let D．a(chǎn)llow

小題9:	A．From B．On C．Since D．After

小題10:

A．spelling B．grammar C．English D．pronunciation

小題11:

A．happened B．looked C．seemed D．felt

小題12:

A．know B．remember C．understand D．think

小題13:

A．students B．children C．babies D．grown-ups

小題14:

A．Imagine B．Mind C．Do D．Think of

小題15:

A．using B．thinking C．trying D．practicing

小題16:

A．time B．money C．language D．practice

小題17:

A．hard B．easy C．funny D．silly

小題18:

A．depends B．tries C．has D．takes

小題19:

A．uses B．takes C．gets D．costs

小題20:

A．do B．work C．help D．master

Siberia is a huge territory in Russia. It is more than half of Russia and is 4,000 miles wide.  Most of this area is a forest with animals and birds. In autumn, the forests in Siberia are full of mushrooms and berries(漿果). Many people like picking mushrooms, but that is not as simple as you might think. Old people who live in the villages know places where you can pick lots of mushrooms. Some mushrooms grow in colonies. If you find one, you only need to look around because nearby you'll find more of them.
However, when picking mushrooms, it is important not to choose the wrong kind. You have to be careful because some mushrooms are poisonous even though they look good. The smell can help you choose them, because good mushrooms smell very good.
Siberian people are very friendly and hospitable. If someone invites you home for dinner, you'll soon be full. You should try everything the host is having.
The climate there depends on the territory. Some places have very comfortable climates with hot summers and cold winters. In my opinion, the best season is spring, when nature wakes up after a long winter. It is the time for blossoms and love. Birds come back from other warm countries. Trees become dressed in green. The sun becomes warm and the days are longer. The mood is wonderful and people smile a lot. It is an amazing time.
In winter, you have opportunity for sports. The most popular sport in winter in Russia is cross-country skiing. During weekends, many people go into the country and ski. Noses freeze and cheeks hurt, but people continue to enjoy these times.
小題1:What is the best title for the passage?

A．Siberia, an interesting and beautiful place.

B．The climate in Siberia.

C．The four seasons in Siberia.

D．Collecting mushrooms in Siberia.

小題2:Which of the following can help to choose the right mushrooms for dinner?

A．The places.

B．The colonies.

C．The smell.

D．The outlook.

小題3:Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Siberia in spring?

A．The night is longer.	B．Tress turn green.
C．It is warmer.	D．There are many birds.

小題4:What can we conclude about the climate in Siberia?

A．It's cold all the year round.

B．It's hot in summer.

C．The climate is very comfortable.

D．It depends on where your are in Siberia.

The expression “keeping up with the Joneses” was first used in 1913 by a young American Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself: he began earning $125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. Young Momand was very proud of his riches. He got married and moved with his wife to Long Island, outside New York City.
But just moving there was not enough. For when Momand and his wife saw that their neighbors belonged to a country club they too joined a club. And when he saw that rich people were expected to ride horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave grand parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. Momand and his wife could not do that.
The race ended for them when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an inexpensive New York City apartment.
Momand later said that his experience had been a cruel awakening for him. However, he was able to see the funny side of it. He looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with their neighbors.
He decided that this would make good stories for many papers across the country. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses”, because “Jones” is a very common American name. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with the people around you. Momand’s stories appeared in different newspapers for over 28 years.
People never seem to tire of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the “right” books, go to the “right” universities and eat in the “right” restaurants. But no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.
小題1:The writer of this passage means to tell us ___________.

A．what Arthur Momand did to keep up with his neighbors

B．how the expression “keep up with the Joneses” came into being

C．what we should do to keep up with our neighbors

D．how we can live differently from others

小題2:The reason Momand moved to Long Island is that ___________.

A．he wanted to live in a rich neighborhood

B．there was a country club for him to join

C．it was outside the city and good for horseback riding

D．his wife came from that area

小題3:By saying “It was like a race”(in Para 3), the writer means ____________.

A．it was just a suitable place for the horse race

B．Momand and his wife kept themselves busy

C．Momand’s neighbors also gave parties one after another

D．Momand tried to compete with their neighbors in his way of life

小題4:The funny side Momand saw in his experience was _________.

A．he moved back to a cheap place

B．he was not alone in keeping up with his neighbors

C．he made a mistake in following other people’s examples

D．he cared too much about what others thought of him

小題5:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Momand earned a lot of money when he got married

B．Momand was always very interested in riding horses

C．Momand found there was something wrong with his way of life

D．Momand wrote stories for newspapers about himself and his neighbors

The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry.Although Samuel B．Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837，it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed.By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies.The following year，San Francisco was added to the network.
The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes.Furthermore，the extension of the telegraph，combined with the invention of the steam－driven rotary printing press by Richard
M．Hoe in 1846，revolutionized the world of journalism.Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand－operated presses，the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting.The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (紀(jì)元) in journalism.
小題1:The main topic of the passage is ________.

A．the history of journalism

B．the origin of the national telegraph

C．how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads

D．the contributions and development of the telegraph network

小題2:This passage would most likely be found in a________.

A．U.S. history book	B．book on trains
C．science textbook	D．computer magazine

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry

B．Morse’s invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潛力)

C．the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention

D．journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry

Abby, Steven, Jonathan, 和 Tina都想去電影院看電影。閱讀下面的電影介紹（A、B、C和D），選出最適合他們的電影。
小題1:Abbyis 8 years old and shows great interest in cartoon films.
小題2:Steven is going through a difficult time in his life and needs a film to inspire him.
小題3:Jonathan is a college graduate and prefers science-fiction（科幻）films.
小題4:Tina hopes to enjoy an adventurous and thrilling film this weekend.

A  Charlotte’s Web A live-action/ computer-animated（電腦動(dòng)畫）feature film, based on the popular book with the same name by E.B. White. Fern is one of the only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him into a terrific and bright pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn （畜棚）, he begins a second deep friendship with a spider named Charlotte and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family.

B Babel Richard and Susan are a couple from California who are vacationing in Morocco while their two children are at home with their Mexican housekeeper, Amelia. Meanwhile, a local young man, shot at a tour bus and hit Susan in the shoulder, causing her severe injury.  Richard calls home to tell Amelia of the situation, who shortly leaves for Mexico to attend her son’s wedding along with their children. Disaster thus multiplies (增加), with the situation in Morocco owing to terrorists in the media, Amelia meets with trouble at the Mexican border when she returns.

C Children of Men Set in 2027, when no child has been born for 18 years and science is at loss to explain the reason, African and East European societies break down and their decreasing populations migrate to England and other wealthy nations. In a climate of violence, a London peace activist joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife Julian in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously became pregnant(懷孕).

D The Pursuit of Happiness Chris Gardner is a bright and talented, but marginally （在邊緣）employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted（逐出）their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. He and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, dreaming of a better life for the two of them. Gardner finally becomes successful.

Suppose that we lined up our roughly 14 million United States businesses in order of size, starting with the smallest, along an imaginary road from San Francisco to New York. There will be 4,500 businesses to the mile, or a little less than one per foot. Suppose further that we planted a flag each business. The height of the flag pole represents the yearly volume of sales (銷量) , each $ 10, 000 in sales in shown by one foot of pole.
The line of flagpoles is a very interesting sight. From San Francisco to about Reno, it is almost unnoticeable, a row of poles about a foot high. From Reno eastward the poles increase in height until, near Columbus, Ohio - about four - fifths of the way across the nation - flags fly about 10 feet in the air.
But as we approach the eastern terminus (終點(diǎn)) , the poles suddenly begin to mount (升高) . There are about 300, 000 firms in the country with sales over $ 500, 000. These firms take up the last 75 miles of the 3,000 - mile road. There are 200, 000 firms with sales over $ 1 million. They take up the last 50 miles. Then there are 1, 000 firms with sales of $ 50, 000, 000 or more. They take up the last quarter of a mile before the city limits, flags flying at cloud height, 5 , 000 feet up .
At the very gate of New York, on the last 100 feet of the last mile , we find the 100 largest industrial firms . They have sales of at least $ 1.5 billion, so that their flags are already miles high. Along the last 10 feet of road , there are 10 largest companies . Their sales are roughly $ 10 billion and up : their flags fly 190 miles in the air , almost in the stratosphere (平流層) .
小題1:What is the author’s main purpose in this passage?

A．To tell the reason why the largest firms are in New York.

B．To show the geographical distribution (分布) of the United States businesses.

C．To provide a general idea of the size of businesses in the United States.

D．To tell us how the United States businesses are arranged.

小題2:What’s the correct order of the following places from east to west?

A．San Francisco, Reno, New York, Columbus.

B．San Francisco, Reno, Columbus, New York.

C．New York, Columbus, Reno, San Francisco

D．New York, Reno, Columbus, San Francisco

小題3:Among the four parts of the imaginary road , which part , considering all the firms in it , has the largest total volume of sales ?

A．The last 75 miles.	B．The last 50 miles.
C．The last 100 feet of the last mile.	D．The last quarter of a mile

小題4:Which of the following diagrams (圖表) shows the right order of size of the US businesses , according to the text ?
S =" San" Francisco  R =" Reno"  C =" Columbus"  N =" New" York  H =" height"  F = feet

Different people use different languages. We Chinese speak Chinese, and, most of us are learning a foreign language. But there is another kind of language we need to know --- the language of the body.
All over the world, people “talk with their hand, with their heads and with their eyes.” When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British do? Americans are more imformal(不拘小節(jié)的) than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable. British people are more reserved(保守的). They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask your name.
When British or American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man, he just smiles, and says, “Hello.” Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.
小題1:In the passsage, the writer thinks that body language is ______________.

A．uselss

B．difficult

C．quite easy

D．important

小題2:Which of the following is right?

A．different countries hav the same body language.

B．different countries have different body anguages.

C．people in Asia share the same body language.

D．many people only use their body language.

小題3:If an American friend visits you, he probably _____________.

A．sit straight

B．never sits down

C．makes fun of you

D．sits freely

小題4:If you want to make a British friend, you may feel it ________________.

A．imopssible

B．too easy

C．too difficult

D．slow

小題5:Generally speaking, ____________ kiss more often.

A．men

B．women

C．British

D．Americans